


Gift of Memories

by dazzling_icer (centz)



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-01
Updated: 2011-09-01
Packaged: 2017-10-23 07:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/247957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centz/pseuds/dazzling_icer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holden helps Noah find an anniversary gift for Luke as they are cleaning out the Snyder Farm attic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gift of Memories

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything. This is complete fabrication.

“So, what was Luke’s excuse for not being able to help us with the attic today?” Holden asked slightly annoyed as he picked up another heavy box that needed to be moved out.

Noah chuckled in response and began to sweep the far east corner of the attic.

“Brian called him early this morning,” Noah answered. “Apparently a donor that they’ve been trying to get a hold of for weeks now contacted them this morning and wanted to have a phone conference this afternoon. He couldn’t get out of it.”

“I’m sure he couldn’t,” Holden said teasingly.

It was early afternoon, and Noah and Holden had been up in Emma’s attic rearranging boxes and cleaning for almost two hours. Since Noah had lived at the farm, he had only been in the Snyder attic once before, and that was to help Luke’s grandmother take out the Christmas decorations when Luke was still in the wheelchair. He couldn’t believe how much stuff was crammed into it.

It was a fairly big attic for a farmhouse. It was a long rectangular shaped room. There was a lone window that poured sunlight into the room, and the wooden rafters from the ceiling hung low. Through the light, dust particles could be seen covering the air, the floor, and all of the Snyder’s possessions.

Holden was going through all of the boxes and trying to organize them in some sort of neatly fashion, while Noah was on cleaning duty. After Holden cleared a space of the room, he would sweep and dust off the walls and boxes. Noah wished that Luke was here to help, not only because they would be done faster, but also because he loved just being in the same room with him.

But just being with Holden was also nice. The times were rare when the two of them were alone and able to bond over something. Sure, Noah helped with tractor repairs a couple of times, but nothing this extensive like cleaning the attic. Noah loved being around Holden. Whenever he was around him, seeing the way he treated his family and the way that he held himself, he just admitted this fatherly aura. It was something that he never remembered feeling around the Colonel. Even though he was just his boyfriend’s father, Noah couldn’t help but think of him as his own.

“So you and Luke’s one year anniversary is next weekend, isn’t it?” Holden questioned, opening another big box.

“Yeah, it is,” Noah replied softly. “Where do you want this box of the girls’ stuffed animals to go?”

“Just set it over by that wall,” Holden pointed. He closed the box in front of him and wrote “Christmas” in big letters on the front. “Do you guys have anything planned?”

“Not really,” Noah said, setting down the box by the wall. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk about it. Honestly, I have no idea what to get him.”

“Really? I’ve always found Luke to be really easy to shop for.”

“Well, he usually is. But for our one year, I want to do something special for him. I don’t want to get him just anything, I want it to be something meaningful.”

“I can see you two really care for each other,” Holden admitted, moving another box in front of Noah so he could clean it off. “I’m really glad you guys can be together after everything that happened with your father and Ameera.”

Noah picked up another dusting rag and began to clean off the box.

“Yeah, we’ve been through a lot. We both hurt each other multiple times, but I feel like we are really strong now because of it. And despite of everything that has happened, this past year of my life has been incredible and made of so many wonderful memories, and I want to get Luke something that will project that.”

“Well, I am sure you will think of something,” Holden told him reassuringly. He opened up another box and quickly became excited.

“Oh hey! Look at this, Noah.” The younger boy looked up from dusting and gazed in Holden’s direction. Holden took an old, dusty trophy out of the box. He blew on it and wiped away some of the dust with his hands.

“These are some of my old riding trophies,” Holden said proudly. “I had no idea where Mama put these!”

Noah walked over to where Holden was kneeling down in front of the box and began to admire the trophies. He picked one up delicately in his hands, afraid to break it, and began to admire the prize. There was a golden statue of a man on a horse on the top, and the base held the inscription “Holden Snyder/Trapper: Second Place”. He picked up a few more and saw multiple trophies that Holden won, ranging from First to Fourth, all on a horse called Trapper.

“Trapper was my favorite horse of all time,” Holden suddenly said. “He was the first horse that I ever saw being born, and I loved him so much that my dad let me keep him and raise him. Of course I was really young at the time, so my father always helped me. But ever since I began to ride him, we always had this connection. We went through a lot of good and bad times together.”

Noah then watched as Holden picked up a frame photograph from the box and held it up. It was an old black and white of a young boy sitting atop a dark horse. The boy was holding up a ribbon, and the horse’s neck was decorated with a wreath of flowers.

“Putting Trapper down was one of the saddest days of my life,” Holden suddenly said, taking the picture back from Noah. “I sure do miss that horse.”

Noah watched Holden put the trophies and photographs back into the box, giving each one last look over before closing it tightly. His heart seemed to swell in his chest with the story. This was a side of Holden that he had never seen before, and he felt very honored that he was sharing one of his dearest memories with him.

Noah finished dusting off the box, and set it along the wall next to the other boxes. He then took the box full of Holden’s old trophies and quickly dusted it off before also putting it by the wall. He began to walk back to Holden to grab another box when he noticed a box in the corner.

“Oh, I must have forgotten this box over here,” Noah told Holden. Noah walked over to the box and inspected it. The box itself looked like it was falling apart and the words “FRAGILE” were written in large, barely legible letters on the top. Not wanting to break what was inside, he very carefully picked up the box and turned to carry it over to Holden. He was halfway there when his foot collided with the fallen broom on the ground. He quickly lost his balance, and the old box was flung from his hands. The box landed with a large thud on the ground, along with the sound of its contents being jumbled.

“Oh my god! Holden I am so sorry!” Noah quickly got up and moved the broomstick out of the way and ran over to the box. “I probably broke it. I’m so sorry Holden…I didn’t know the broom was there and the box has ‘fragile’ written on it, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to!”

“Whoa, Noah, it’s OK. I know it was an accident,” Holden assured him as he got up as well and knelt by the box. He carefully opened the torn up box and gazed inside.

“Is it broke?” Noah asked frantically. Great, this is just what he needed. He thought things with Holden were going really well, and now he had to go and do something to ruin it. He probably broke a Snyder Family Heirloom that had been in the family for years or something. “I bet it is broke…whatever it is, I can try to get you another one, I promise, Mr. Snyder.”

“Noah, calm down, everything is OK,” Holden chuckled. He put his hands inside the box and picked up its contents. Noah watched with nervous eyes and Holden removed an object that was wrapped in a raggedly old blanket. Holden carefully unwrapped the blanket, and a ceramic vase was revealed.

“Is it OK?” Noah asked tentatively.

“Yep, seems to be,” Holden observed, admiring the vase. “The blanket must have insulated it from the fall.”

Just then, Holden looked down at the blanket on the floor, and a spark of realization hit his eyes.

“Oh my,” he said, picking up the torn fabric and caressing it with his fingers.

“What is it?”

“I remember this now,” Holden began, smiling to himself. “This is Luke’s old blanket that Mama made him when he was born. He carried this thing around everywhere. He used to sleep with it at night, make forts out of it, wear it as a cape…in fact, I rarely remember seeing him without it.”

“What was it doing in there?”

“One day, Luke came in from playing outside and he was crying. He was playing in a tree and his blanket got caught on a branch and it was ripped pretty badly. He was upset for days. He even refused to let Mama make him a new one because he thought that it wouldn’t be the same. I guess Lily must not have had the heart to throw it away.”

Noah took the blanket from Holden and began to admire the fabric. It was dark blue on one side, and the other side had a pattern of embroidered horses. It was pretty musty from sitting in the attic for all these years, and it still had multiple rips and tears in it. On one corner, Noah saw where Mrs. Snyder had sewn in Luke’s name in bright white thread.

Suddenly, Noah had an idea.

“Umm, Mr. Snyder…do you mind if I keep this?”

+++++

Noah held the blanket tightly to his side as he approached Luke’s grandmother’s room. He didn’t want to bother her, but he was sure that Luke was going to be home any minute, and he had to be quick.

He lightly knocked on Emma’s door and waited for a response.

“Come in,” came the muffled reply from inside. Noah opened the door and slowly walked inside.

“Ah, Noah, dear…what can I do for you?” Emma smiled lovingly at her grandson’s boyfriend.

“Umm, I’m sorry to bother you Mrs. Snyder…but I have a big favor to ask of you.”

+++++

It was the day of Luke and Noah’s one year anniversary. The two boys decided on a picnic dinner out by the pond, and then a relaxing night on the couch watching television. Neither wanted a big romantic night on the town, they just wanted it to be a small and intimate celebration at home.

Both boys were in the kitchen at the farm packing their picnic when Holden walked in.

“Hey you two…how is the food coming along?”

“Great, Dad,” Luke smiled. “I am a wonderful ham and cheese sandwich maker, if I do say so myself.” Holden smiled at his son and went to get a soda out of the fridge.

“Do you guys need any help?” Holden asked, popping open his can. Noah handed Luke the cookies that he wrapped in saran wrap, and watched as his boyfriend placed them in the basket.

“No, I think we have it all set, Mr. Snyder. Thanks.”

“OK, you guys have a good time. And congratulations on your one year.”

“Thanks, Dad. We will be back soon!” Luke said, grabbing the basket and leading Noah out of the kitchen. Noah held back for a second, and grabbed the bag that held Luke’s present. He gave Holden one last look, who smiled at him knowingly.

“I hope he likes it. Thanks, Mr. Snyder,” Noah told him appreciatively.

“I know he will,” Holden smiled. “Now go, have fun. Don’t keep him waiting or he will get suspicious. You know how he is.”

Noah laughed and finally followed Luke out of the house. Once they were in front of the house, Noah stopped Luke.

“Hey Luke,” he said, grabbing his arm and turning him around. Luke looked at him with questioning eyes.

“What?”

“Umm, before we go, I wanted to give you your present.” Noah held up the bag for Luke to take a hold of it.

“Can’t it wait until we get out to the pond?”

“Well, we are gonna need it at the pond,” Noah hinted. “So I wanted to give it to you now.”

“OK,” Luke agreed, and he led him over to sit on the bench right outside of the porch. As soon as he took his place on the bench, Luke began to reach into the bag, only to be stopped by Noah.

“Before you open it, I just want to tell you how happy you have made me in this past year. Luke...I honestly don’t know where I would be today if you weren’t by my side, and I just want to tell you how much I love you, and how much I love being in love with you.”

Luke smiled at his boyfriend, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

“I love you too, Noah…and I can’t even begin to tell you how much.” Luke leaned in and gave Noah a single sweet kiss. They pulled apart, and Noah rubbed his nose against Luke’s playfully, causing his boyfriend to chuckle.

“OK, you can open it now.”

Luke looked down at the bag and began to pull out the tissue paper that was strategically placed inside to hide its contents. His hand then grabbed something soft, and he tightly took a hold of it and pulled it out of the bag.

“Oh my god…”Luke whispered as he looked at the sight before him. His eyes were wide and his fingers were fumbling in excitement as he began to spread the blanket out. The once torn and ragged blanket was now clean and new. Luke stared at the blanket as if he was imagining it, before turning to question his boyfriend. “But…how? Where did you get this, Noah?”

“Your father and I found it when we were cleaning out the attic last weekend,” Noah confessed. “He told me about how much it meant to you when you were little, and for our one year I wanted to get you something that would be meaningful. So I asked your grandmother if she could fix it for me. Of course I felt bad giving her only one week to do it…but she seemed thrilled to help.”

Luke just stared at Noah, allowing the words to sink in, before turning his eyes to his long-lost blanket. He remembered the day it ripped. He remembered feeling like one of his family members had died. He also remembered how lost he felt when his mother took it from him, never to be seen again. Until now. Until Noah found it and made it perfect again.

“Noah…this is amazing,” Luke told him, almost at a loss for words. “Thank you so much.”

“I did ask your grandma to make one alteration, though,” Noah said. Luke raised his eyebrows at him. “I hope you don’t mind…”

Noah picked up one corner of the blanket, and spread it out so Luke could read the new inscription that was in snow white thread.

“’Luke & Noah’,” Luke read aloud, now not being able to hold back his tears. Having his hands on two corners of the blanket, he threw his arms around Noah, wrapping them both in the fabric. Noah snaked his arms around Luke’s waist, enjoying the sudden warmth from Luke, or the blanket, he didn’t know. He only knew he wished that he could stay this way forever.

“I love you, Noah,” Luke whispered in his ear. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, Luke…I love you, too. Happy Anniversary.”

+++++

Holden gazed out of the window in the kitchen, and watched as his son wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s neck in the yard, engulfing them in the newly renovated blanket. He smiled at the exchange, and took another sip of his soda. He reached his arm out and pulled the cord on the blinds, allowing them to shut, blocking out the view of what was going on in the front yard. He then turned away from the window, reveling in the fact that he knew his son was finally happy.

 

END


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